Automatic curling iron with rotatable and detachable structure

ABSTRACT

Disclosed herein is an automatic curling iron having a structure in which a cylindrical heating body is easily separable from a main body, with the consequence that the cylindrical heating body can be replaced with a different cylindrical heating body having a brush, and the automatic curling iron not only occupies a small volume when stored but also simplifies hair styling since the cylindrical heating body is rotated to the left merely by operating a switch button. The automatic curling iron includes a main body, and a cylindrical heating body rotatably coupled to one side of the main body. The main body includes a main body casing, a motor, a rotary shaft, a fixed terminal section, and a rotary terminal. The cylindrical heating body includes a heating body casing, a heating element, and a heating element terminal section.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a curling iron with rotatable anddetachable structure, and more particularly, to an automatic curlingiron having a structure in which a cylindrical heating body is easilyseparable from a main body, with the consequence that the cylindricalheating body can be replaced with a different cylindrical heating bodyhaving a brush, and the automatic curling iron not only occupies a smallvolume when stored but also simplifies hair styling since thecylindrical heating body is rotated to the left merely by operating aswitch button.

Description of the Related Art

A hair-curling iron is widely used as a kind of beauty tool for stylinghair, such as straightening wavy or curly hair or curling or wavingstraight hair.

A conventional hair-curling iron is divided into a wave curling iron forcreating hair in a wavy style and a straight curling iron forstraightening hair. For this reason, there is a problem of poor economyin that a user must possess and use both types of curling irons in orderto create various hairstyles.

Moreover, when using each curling iron, there is a disadvantage in thatthe user must use the curling iron while holding a separate brush in theother hand to trim hair.

In addition, the conventional hair-curling iron as described above ismanufactured in the form of tongs, and has a heating part formed at thefront end thereof. Since the surface of the heating part that is incontact with hair is mainly a flat surface, the user has to pull theheating part with great force to straighten the hair, thereby causingthe hair to fall out due to the excessive force. When creating wavyhair, the user has to perform multiple operations on the same hair, suchas manually picking up the hair and then rolling it up with the curlingiron, which may cause damage to the hair due to heat and may quicklyfatigue the user's wrist due to the lengthy work.

In addition, in the state in which all types of curling irons withrespective functions, such as a function of applying heat to the hair, afunction of making the hair wavy, and a function of combing the hair,are separately provided, the use must replace the curling iron with anew curling iron every time it is used, and then apply power thereto touse it. Accordingly, there is a need to develop a curling iron that canperform all these functions in a single device.

In order to solve this issue, Korean Patent Application Publication No.10-2012-0090486 discloses, as illustrated in FIG. 12, a rotaryhair-curling iron equipped with a detachable heat dissipation roll forstyling hair by applying heat to the hair, the rotary hair-curling ironincluding: a heat dissipation body 10 having a handle member 11 formedthereon; a heat dissipation roll 20 detachably coupled to one end of theheat dissipation body 10 to radiate heat while rotating; a heatingelement 30 installed in the heat dissipation roll 20 to generate heat; arotating member 40 installed in the heat dissipation body 10 to rotatethe heat dissipation roll 20; a power supply unit 50 formed on the heatdissipation body 10 to turn on/off the heating element 30 or therotating member 40; and an operation adjustment unit 60 formed on theheat dissipation body 10 to adjust the heating temperature of theheating element 30 and the speed of rotation of the rotating member 40,wherein a coupling part 21 is detachably coupled to one end of the heatdissipation body 10 for rotation.

However, although the above patent describes that the heat dissipationbody 10 and the heat dissipation roll 20 are detachable through thecoupling part 21, it does not disclose a structure for supplying powerto the heating element by any specific means while the heat dissipationroll rotates.

In order to solve this issue, Korean Utility Model No. 20-0394529discloses, as illustrated in FIG. 13, a hair styling iron including: ahandle unit 30 including a drive motor 44 driven by power from a powersource, a reducer 46 connected to the rotary shaft of the drive motor 44to reduce the speed of rotation of the drive motor 44, and powertransmission means 48, 50 and 52 for transmitting rotational drivingfrom the reducer 46; and a heating unit 10 including an intermediateconnection part 24 provided with transmission power receiving means 28and 26 for accommodating the rotational power sequentially transmittedfrom the power transmission means 48, 50, and 52 of the handle unit 30,and a heating rod 12 rotatably coupled to the intermediate connectionpart 24 and having a built-in thermal conductor configured to rotatetogether with a heating rod rotation gear 29 by the rotation of thetransmission power receiving means 28 and 26 of the intermediateconnection part 24, wherein one of the handle unit 30 and the heatingunit 10 is axially fitted to the other of them, the handle unit 30 andthe heating unit 10 are configured such that one of them is providedwith a power transmission outlet 38 and the other is provided with apower transmission plug 18, and a movable clutch 40 and a driven clutch20 are provided between the power transmission means 52 and thetransmission power receiving means 28 to easily attach/detach theheating unit 10 with respect to the handle unit 30.

In the case of Korean Utility Model No. 20-0394529, since the hairstyling iron must be equipped with expensive components such as thetransmission power receiving means, the movable clutch and the drivenclutch, the motor, and the gear box, there is a problem in that the hairstyling iron has a complicated structure and is manufactured at highcost.

Therefore, there is a need to develop a curling iron, which can have adetachable heat dissipation roll while supplying power to the heatingelement mounted on the rotating heat dissipation roll, have a simplestructure, and be manufactured at low cost.

PATENT DOCUMENT

(Patent Document 1) Korean Patent Application Publication No.10-2012-0090486

(Patent Document 2) Korean Utility Model No. 20-0394529

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the aboveproblems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide anautomatic curling iron having a structure in which a cylindrical heatingbody is easily separable from a main body, with the consequence that thecylindrical heating body can be replaced with a different cylindricalheating body having a brush, and the automatic curling iron not onlyoccupies a small volume when stored but also simplifies hair stylingsince the cylindrical heating body is rotated to the left merely byoperating a switch button. In addition, the automatic curling iron has asimple internal structure and can be manufactured at low cost.

The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned objects, andother objects of the present invention can be clearly understood bythose skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains fromthe following description.

In accordance with the present invention, the above and other objectscan be accomplished by the provision of an automatic curling iron withrotatable and detachable structure, which includes a main body, and acylindrical heating body rotatably coupled to one side of the main body.The main body includes a main body casing, a motor mounted within themain body casing, a rotary shaft coupled to the motor, a fixed terminalsection fixed to the main body casing with the rotary shaft fittedthereinto, and a rotary terminal module rotatably coupled to the rotaryshaft, and having one side electrically connected to the fixed terminalsection and the other side electrically connected to the cylindricalheating body. The cylindrical heating body includes a heating bodycasing, a heating element mounted within the heating body casing, and aheating element terminal section installed on one side of the heatingbody casing and electrically connected to the rotary terminal module tosupply power to the heating element.

In the automatic curling iron with rotatable and detachable structure,the fixed terminal section may include a fixed terminal body having ahole into which the rotary shaft is inserted, a first annular terminaldisposed outside the fixed terminal body and having an elasticstructure, and a first cylindrical terminal disposed in the center ofthe fixed terminal body and having an elastic structure, the firstcylindrical terminal being open at one side thereof. The rotary terminalmodule may include a terminal disk including a disk part having a holeinto which the rotary shaft is inserted, a protrusion part extendingfrom the center of one surface of the disk part to be rotatably insertedinto the first cylindrical terminal and having a hole into which therotary shaft is inserted, a second annular terminal disposed outside onesurface of the disk part and electrically connected to the first annularterminal, and a second cylindrical terminal disposed on an outerperipheral surface of the protrusion part and inserted into andelectrically connected to the first cylindrical terminal, and a terminalbody including a cylindrical terminal disk-coupling part, which is openat one side to accommodate the terminal disk, having a coupling grooveformed in the center thereof such that the rotary shaft is fitted intothe coupling groove, and a socket part extending from the other side ofthe terminal disk-coupling part and having a plurality of socket holesarranged to detachably couple the heating element terminal section. Theterminal disk and the terminal body may have fastening holes formedtherein, respectively, and a fastening member may be screwed into thefastening holes.

In the automatic curling iron with rotatable and detachable structure,the heating element terminal section may include a cylindrical plug bodycoupled to an open one side of the cylindrical heating body, and aplurality of connection pins installed in the plug body and fitted intothe socket holes. The plug body may have a guide groove extendingcircumferentially on an outer peripheral surface thereof. The main bodycasing may be provided with a detachable lever detachably fitted intothe guide groove to rotatably fix the main body and the cylindricalheating body.

In the automatic curling iron with rotatable and detachable structure,the first annular terminal may have an elastic structure in which afirst plane, an inclined plane, and a second plane are formedsequentially on left and right sides thereof with respect to a virtualcenter line, so that the second plane is in contact with the secondannular terminal.

In the automatic curling iron with rotatable and detachable structure,the detachable lever may be coupled to the main body casing by a hinge,and may have a spring installed on one side thereof with respect to thehinge and a fitting protrusion formed on the other side thereof to befitted into the guide groove, so that when one side of the detachablelever having the spring installed thereon is pressed, the fittingprotrusion is separated from the guide groove, thereby enablingcoupling/decoupling of the cylindrical heating body.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other objects, features and other advantages of thepresent invention will be more clearly understood from the followingdetailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an overall appearance of anautomatic curling iron with rotatable and detachable structure accordingto the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 3 and 4 are partial perspective views illustrating a main body anda cylindrical heating body according to the present invention;

FIGS. 5 and 6 are exploded perspective views illustrating a couplingstructure of a rotary terminal module according to the presentinvention;

FIGS. 7A and 7B are exploded perspective views illustrating a detailedconfiguration of a fixed terminal section and the rotary terminal moduleaccording to the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a partial perspective view illustrating a structure in whichthe main body is coupled to the cylindrical heating body according tothe present invention;

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 8;

FIGS. 10A to 10C are views illustrating a state in which the cylindricalheating body is rotated according to the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a view illustrating a process of separating the cylindricalheating body according to the present invention; and

FIGS. 12 and 13 are views illustrating a structure of a conventionalrotary curling iron.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will bedescribed in more detail. However, these embodiments are onlyillustrative of the present invention, and are not intended to limit thescope of the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an overall appearance of anautomatic curling iron with rotatable and detachable structure accordingto the present invention. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view ofFIG. 1. FIGS. 3 and 4 are partial perspective views illustrating a mainbody and a cylindrical heating body according to the present invention.FIGS. 5 and 6 are exploded perspective views illustrating a couplingstructure of a rotary terminal module according to the presentinvention. FIGS. 7A and 7B are exploded perspective views illustrating adetailed configuration of a fixed terminal section and the rotaryterminal module according to the present invention. FIG. 8 is a partialperspective view illustrating a structure in which the main body iscoupled to the cylindrical heating body according to the presentinvention. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 8. FIGS. 10A to 10Care views illustrating a state in which the cylindrical heating body isrotated according to the present invention. FIG. 11 is a viewillustrating a process of separating the cylindrical heating bodyaccording to the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 11, the automatic curling iron with rotatableand detachable structure according to the present invention mainlyincludes a main body 110 and a cylindrical heating body 130 rotatablycoupled to one side of the main body 110.

The main body 110 includes a main body casing 111, a motor 115 mountedwithin the main body casing 111, a rotary shaft 116 coupled to the motor115, a fixed terminal section 117 fixed to the main body casing 111 withthe rotary shaft 116 fitted thereinto, and a rotary terminal module 120rotatably coupled to the rotary shaft 116, and having one sideelectrically connected to the fixed terminal section 117 and the otherside electrically connected to the cylindrical heating body 130.

The main body casing 111 is provided with a first circuit board 112 aconfigured to adjust power and an amount of heat generation, a firstswitch part 112 b connected to the first circuit board 112 a, a secondcircuit board 113 a configured to control leftward and rightwardrotation and the original position of the cylindrical heating body 130,and a second switch part 113 b connected to the second circuit board 113a.

A detachable lever 114 is installed at the front end of the main bodycasing 111.

The fixed terminal section 117 includes a fixed terminal body 118 havinga hole 118 a into which the rotary shaft 116 is inserted, a firstannular terminal 119 disposed outside the fixed terminal body 118 andhaving an elastic structure, and a first cylindrical terminal 119 edisposed in the center of the fixed terminal body 118 and having anelastic structure, the first cylindrical terminal 119 e being open atone side thereof.

The first annular terminal 119 has an elastic structure in which a firstplane 119 b, an inclined plane 119 c, and a second plane 119 d areformed sequentially on the left and right sides thereof with respect toa virtual center line 119 a, so that the second plane 119 d is incontact with a second annular terminal 124.

The rotary terminal module 120 includes a terminal disk 121, and acylindrical terminal body 127 which is open at one side to accommodatethe terminal disk 121.

The terminal disk 121 includes a disk part 122 having a hole 122 a intowhich the rotary shaft 116 is inserted, a protrusion part 123 extendingfrom the center of one surface of the disk part 122 to be rotatablyinserted into the first cylindrical terminal 119 e and having a hole 123a into which the rotary shaft 116 is inserted, a second annular terminal124 disposed outside one surface of the disk part 122 and electricallyconnected to the first annular terminal 119, and a second cylindricalterminal 125 disposed on the outer peripheral surface of the protrusionpart 123 and inserted into and electrically connected to the firstcylindrical terminal 119 e.

The terminal body 127 includes a cylindrical terminal disk-coupling part128, which is open at one side to accommodate the terminal disk 121,having a coupling groove 128 a formed in the center thereof such thatthe rotary shaft 116 is fitted into the coupling groove 128 a, and asocket part 129 extending from the other side of the terminaldisk-coupling part 128 and having a plurality of socket holes 129 aarranged to detachably couple a heating element terminal section 135.

A third terminal 129 b is inserted into an associated one of the socketholes 129 a.

The terminal disk 121 and the terminal body 127 have fastening holes 121a and 127 a formed therein, respectively, and a fastening member 127 bis screwed into the fastening holes 121 a and 127 a.

The cylindrical heating body 130 includes a heating body casing 131, aheating element 133 mounted within the heating body casing 131, and aheating element terminal section 135 installed on one side of theheating body casing 131 and electrically connected to the rotaryterminal module 120 to supply power to the heating element 133.

A tongs 132 is installed on the outer peripheral surface of the rear endof the heating body casing 131 to press down the hair.

The heating element terminal section 135 includes a cylindrical plugbody 136 coupled to an open one side of the cylindrical heating body130, and a plurality of connection pins 136 b installed in the plug body136 and fitted into the socket holes 129 a.

Meanwhile, the plug body 136 has a guide groove 136 a extendingcircumferentially on the outer peripheral surface thereof.

The detachable lever 114 is coupled to the guide groove 136 a. Thedetachable lever 114 is coupled to the main body casing 111 by a hinge114 a, and has a spring 114 b installed on one side thereof with respectto the hinge 114 a and a fitting protrusion 114 c formed on the otherside thereof to be fitted into the guide groove 136 a.

When one side of the detachable lever 114 having the spring 114 binstalled thereon is pressed, the fitting protrusion 114 c is separatedfrom the guide groove 136 a, thereby enabling coupling/decoupling of thecylindrical heating body 130.

Hereinafter, a method of using the automatic curling iron with rotatableand detachable structure according to the present invention will bedescribed.

After a user turns on the power of the automatic curling iron bypressing the first switch part, the user can adjust a heatingtemperature and then rotate the cylindrical heating body leftwards andrightwards using the second switch part.

When the use of the automatic curling iron is complete, the cylindricalheating body can be returned to its original position by pressing thehome button of the second switch part.

After use, the automatic curling iron can be stored with the main bodyand the cylindrical heating body separated from each other, or thecylindrical heating body can be replaced with a different cylindricalheating body having a brush. To this end, the main body and thecylindrical heating body can be easily separate from each other bypressing the detachable lever so that the fitting protrusion isseparated from the guide groove, and then pulling the main body and thecylindrical heating body. As is apparent from the above description, inthe automatic curling iron with rotatable and detachable structureaccording to the present invention, since the cylindrical heating bodyis easily separable from the main body, the cylindrical heating body canbe replaced with a different cylindrical heating body having a brush,and the automatic curling iron not only occupies a small volume whenstored but also simplifies hair styling since the cylindrical heatingbody is rotated to the left merely by operating a switch button. Inaddition, the automatic curling iron has a simple internal structure andcan be manufactured at low cost.

The present invention is not limited to the above effects, and othereffects of the present invention will be clearly understood by thoseskilled in the art to which the present invention pertains from theabove description.

It will be understood that the present invention is not limited to thespecific form set forth herein. Accordingly, the true technicalprotection scope of the present invention should be determined by thetechnical concepts of the appended claims. Furthermore, it should beunderstood that the present invention includes all modifications,equivalents, and substitutions falling within the spirit and scope ofthe invention as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. An automatic curling iron with rotatable anddetachable structure, comprising: a main body, and a cylindrical heatingbody rotatably coupled to one side of the main body, wherein the mainbody comprises: a main body casing; a motor mounted within the main bodycasing; a rotary shaft coupled to the motor; a fixed terminal sectionfixed to the main body casing with the rotary shaft fitted thereinto;and a rotary terminal module rotatably coupled to the rotary shaft, andhaving one side electrically connected to the fixed terminal section andthe other side electrically connected to the cylindrical heating body,and wherein the cylindrical heating body comprises: a heating bodycasing; a heating element mounted within the heating body casing; and aheating element terminal section installed on one side of the heatingbody casing and electrically connected to the rotary terminal module tosupply power to the heating element.
 2. The automatic curling ironaccording to claim 1, wherein the fixed terminal section comprises afixed terminal body having a hole into which the rotary shaft isinserted, a first annular terminal disposed outside the fixed terminalbody and having an elastic structure, and a first cylindrical terminaldisposed in the center of the fixed terminal body and having an elasticstructure, the first cylindrical terminal being open at one sidethereof, wherein the rotary terminal module comprises: a terminal diskcomprising a disk part having a hole into which the rotary shaft isinserted, a protrusion part extending from the center of one surface ofthe disk part to be rotatably inserted into the first cylindricalterminal and having a hole into which the rotary shaft is inserted, asecond annular terminal disposed outside one surface of the disk partand electrically connected to the first annular terminal, and a secondcylindrical terminal disposed on an outer peripheral surface of theprotrusion part and inserted into and electrically connected to thefirst cylindrical terminal; and a terminal body comprising a cylindricalterminal disk-coupling part, which is open at one side to accommodatethe terminal disk, having a coupling groove formed in the center thereofsuch that the rotary shaft is fitted into the coupling groove, and asocket part extending from the other side of the terminal disk-couplingpart and having a plurality of socket holes arranged to detachablycouple the heating element terminal section, and wherein the terminaldisk and the terminal body have fastening holes formed therein,respectively, and a fastening member is screwed into the fasteningholes.
 3. The automatic curling iron according to claim 2, wherein: theheating element terminal section comprises a cylindrical plug bodycoupled to an open one side of the cylindrical heating body, and aplurality of connection pins installed in the plug body and fitted intothe socket holes; the plug body has a guide groove extendingcircumferentially on an outer peripheral surface thereof; and the mainbody casing is provided with a detachable lever detachably fitted intothe guide groove to rotatably fix the main body and the cylindricalheating body.
 4. The automatic curling iron according to claim 2,wherein the first annular terminal has an elastic structure in which afirst plane, an inclined plane, and a second plane are formedsequentially on left and right sides thereof with respect to a virtualcenter line, so that the second plane is in contact with the secondannular terminal.
 5. The automatic curling iron according to claim 3,wherein the detachable lever is coupled to the main body casing by ahinge, and has a spring installed on one side thereof with respect tothe hinge and a fitting protrusion formed on the other side thereof tobe fitted into the guide groove, so that when one side of the detachablelever having the spring installed thereon is pressed, the fittingprotrusion is separated from the guide groove, thereby enablingcoupling/decoupling of the cylindrical heating body.